Classification of childhood obesity using longitudinal clinical body mass index and its validation
Authors' conclusion
The Longitudinal BMI classification may better reflect long-term cardiometabolic risk in children. This classification can be useful for focused intervention strategies and for profiling of individuals for genetic testing.
Study context
- Population
- Children with height, weight and cardiometabolic risk measures, tertiary care hospital EHR 2014–18; replication in an independent cohort24,444 in replication cohort
- Participants
- 22,352 children
- Exposure
- Longitudinal body mass index (BMI) classification vs cross-sectional BMI
- Outcome
- AUC for cardiometabolic risk
Methodological detailselectronic health record data, tertiary care hospital, independent replication cohort
- Electronic health record data
- Tertiary care hospital
- Independent replication cohort
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
| Group | Value | AUC |
|---|---|---|
| Longitudinal BMI class | 80.0% | 80.0% |
| Cross-sectional BMI | 75.8% | 75.8% |
Value
Longitudinal BMI class80.0%
Cross-sectional BMI75.8%
AUC
Longitudinal BMI class80.0%
Cross-sectional BMI75.8%
- Longitudinal BMI class vs Cross-sectional BMI: P < 0.001 — AUC higher with longitudinal BMI class
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 95th percentile) and severe obesity (BMI ≥ 120% of BMIpct95)
- Obesity
- 24.1%
- Severe obesity
- 10.6%
Early onset obesity (age ≤ 6 years)
- Individuals with early onset obesity remained in the same or higher obesity class
Socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity
- High-SES group had lower odds of obesity
Proportion with cardiometabolic risk by obesity severity
- Proportion with cardiometabolic risk increased with obesity severity
- p-value 0.01 - < 0.001
Original publication
Classification of childhood obesity using longitudinal clinical body mass index and its validation. Int J Obes (Lond). Published 17 July 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →